


The Mistake of Love

by Spooky_Spooks



Series: Black Butler FanFics [2]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Angst, Canon LGBTQ Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt, F/F, Female Pronouns for Grell Sutcliff, Hurt No Comfort, Love, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:54:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22119721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spooky_Spooks/pseuds/Spooky_Spooks
Summary: Grell had lived her entire human life as well as her reaper life misunderstood and alone, until one fateful night when she meets someone who may just understand her. What would she do to be understood? What would be the consequences?(Could be read as a sequel to 'Desiring Roses', but can be read on its own as well)
Relationships: Angelina Dalles | Madame Red/Grell Sutcliff, William T. Spears/Grell Sutcliff
Series: Black Butler FanFics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592170
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	The Mistake of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to skip this bit if you like, it's just a mild explanation/warning for those who may want/need such a thing.
> 
> First of all, I would like to make clear that I drink my Respect Trans Women Juice™ and due to this, I always use she/her pronouns when referring to Grell. I also write in an AU where everything is the same except that Grell's preferred pronouns are respected and used by other characters in the series. 
> 
> If this confuses you or you would like to know more, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer. If this sort of thing (respecting pronouns) bothers you, then you likely will not enjoy this fic or anything written by me.
> 
> I would also like readers to be warned that this fic centers on the Jack The Ripper/Red Butler Arc, and the murders committed in that arc are central to this fic. If that makes you uncomfortable, this is not the fic for you! While the description is not overly graphic, sensitive readers should be aware. Some harsh language will also be used, though not too frequently. Once again, if you have questions about this feel free to ask. 
> 
> This can be read as a sequel to my other Black Butler fanfic 'Desiring Roses', or as its own separate work and will make sense either way.
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoy this fic!

It had been a normal evening for Grell on that fateful night. Just simple reaps, with nothing note, that was until her last reap. Grell's last reap was a murder, something Grell had never failed to find fascinating. This murder, however, would prove to be life-changing, playing a larger part in the shaping of Grell's life than she ever could have anticipated. 

Grell watched from a rooftop as the young woman who was fated to die was approached by her would-be killer. She seemed to trust her future attacker, a woman with beautiful blood-red hair, similar in colour to Grell's own, but much shorter. She watched, transfixed, as the woman was killed and her body ripped open. It was not the first time that Grell had borne witness to a murder, and yet something about the violent woman captivated Grell. 

Throwing both rules and caution to the wind, Grell introduced herself and explained that she was a grim reaper. The woman, who would introduce herself as Angelina, initially reacted with fear, suspecting some sort of divine punishment for what she had done. That was until Grell explained her fascination and curiosity about Angelina and her motive. It was then that the pair discovered their shared hatred for those Angelina was seeking to end, the whores who would so carelessly throw away everything Grell and Angelina desired as if it meant nothing. Those intense feelings of rage and hatred brought Grell and Angelina together. 

Grell gave little thought to abandoning her reaper job for what she saw as righting the wrongs of fate. She would certainly miss William, but he would never, and could never, understand the anger she felt, or the way fate had robbed her. Angelina however, could, and did, understand. For the first time in her life, Grell felt understood and validated. The feeling was intoxicating.

Before she knew it, Grell found herself under Angelina's employ, keeping up the butler act by day and continuing the bloodshed by night. She had become friends with Angelina and had even begun to fall in love with her. She killed for her, served her and broke even the most sacred of reaper laws for her. It was no exaggeration to say she would do anything for Angelina. They were friends and they were lovers. They were the only two who understood each other, and to Grell, their love was all-encompassing. 

Their strange and gruesome bliss would soon come to an end, however. That brat nephew of Angelina's and his devilishly handsome butler had begun to investigate their killings. Try as she might, Angelina hadn't been able to dissuade him from the investigation and try as she might, Grell had not been able to distract Sebastian enough to keep him from following the brat's orders. They were able to keep their suspicions at bay temporarily, though Angelina seemed unconcerned, convinced that her darling nephew would never suspect her. Grell did worry though, as Sebastian was suspiciously good at everything he did, and seemed to pay concerningly close attention to Angelina. However, with Angelina's comfort and confidence, Grell found herself able to put aside her concerns and continue with their killings.

Then, their moment of judgement was upon them, the brat and his butler had figured them out. They were going to see them to justice, almost certainly by killing them. Grell couldn't let that happen, not to her beloved Angelina. She fought Sebastian, leaving the brat to Angelina. However, something happened that Grell didn't expect. For the first time since they had first met Angelina hesitated.

Grell pressed her to kill the brat, knowing the consequences should she not. She trusted Angelina to do what was necessary, just as Angelina had trusted her. Angelina betrayed that trust, insisting that she loved the boy. In that moment, Grell knew that Angelina had never loved her. Suddenly, Grell's unbridled love and passion transformed into a burning hatred, and before was she was able to think, she had already plunged her death scythe deep into Angelina's chest. As Angelina died and her cinematic record was revealed, Grell hid her feelings of betrayal and grief with a mask of disgust. She stripped her of her beloved red coat, taking it as a reminder of the consequences of letting herself believe she was loved.

Sebastian was ordered to kill her, and while Grell would put up a fight, the reality that she had lost everything was beginning to dawn on her, and that reality was taking its toll. As Sebastian was about to take her life with Grell's own scythe, William appeared to retrieve her, ever Grell's saving grace. William's harsh treatment of her hurt, but not nearly as much as his dismissive and uncaring attitude made her heart shatter. He refused to listen to her side of the story and showed no sign of having missed her during her long absence. 

She was put on trial for her crime, and not a single reaper testified in her defence, not that she had really expected them to. It did hurt to see that not a single person asked for her side of the story, or why she had done what she had done. Grell let them give her the punishment they saw fit, without saying a word in her own defence. She took the suspension and demotion without complaint. 

She put on her regular face and bold attitude when others were around, only allowing herself to feel the hurt, the grief, and the betrayal when she was alone. No one suspected a thing, Grell was a superb actress after all. After her suspension was over, Grell's life almost resumed its normal pattern, there was only one notable change, aside from her demotion. Before she had left, she and William had begun to grow close, he would even spend time with her outside of work and smile at her on occasion. But now, those things had changed, William only spoke to her when it was absolutely necessary, and seemed disgusted with her, his eyes cold and uncaring. Whenever Grell felt hurt, or broken by William's cold behaviour she would look at Angelina's coat and remember the mistake it had been to love.


End file.
